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And then, they were cell mates
“So, you have a real name then?”
It took a moment before the sniper decided to respond to the slightly snide query. They all had names after all even if the Empire pretended otherwise. The clones did and Crosshair was pretty sure the former Admiral knew this fact also, right?
“Crosshair.”
Like Rampart really had not know that fact! Of course he had!
But even in their current position of being incarcerated by their former employer, Rampart clearly needed to be the arrogant prick he was born and raised to be. Alas, Crosshair wasn’t really the primary and proper type either. Still, Rampart was certainly worse than Crosshair could ever be! Not that it was a competition.
Rampart stared at Crosshair who was lying on the bunkbed, having managed to get the bottom bed for himself, calling dibs before Rampart arrived much to the sniper’s surprise. Not that Rampart would have managed to fight for it anyway. As verbally they were kinda of on equal terms Crosshair managing to hold his own against the snarks spewed out by the other man if he wanted to. And physically? Well the imps were a weak bunch, the lot of them compared to the clones. So no competition there either.
And so, climbing up the rickety stairs it was for the former Admiral and while doing so, outdoing even the surly sniper in the most theatrical sighs ever produced when he climbed the steps up to his bunk for sleeping.
For now though, Rampart preferred to hang on the floor. The days were truly boring for the inmates if there were no tests or experiments planned for them to take part in. And today was a particularly boring rotation for them both. Especially for poor old Crosshair with Rampart yap yap yapping away. Constantly! Never stopping! There really was no shutting him up once he got started, the man loving his own voice as if nothing else!
“So, is that why you have that… um… face painting?”
Duh!!!
“Um… yeah…” Crosshair really really did not want to have this conversation At all. It was boring, Rampart was a shebs and by some karked up twist of fate Crosshair had landed in the same cell as his former boss.
The irony being Rampart had actually gotten a taste of his own medicine, having imprisoned plenty a good people during his reign, not to mention all the other atrocities he had planned and made his troops commit, all in the name of the Empire.
Oh Karma, thou be a heartless bitch!
Some might even have said they deserved each other. But in Crosshair’s defence, the sniper had most certainly changed his mind about serving the Empire, perhaps being slightly changed himself since their last collaboration. Crosshair having even saved some regs in the process of this, sort of reception path he had started on, only to be stopped by his imprisonment. Oh well, guess one really could not have it all!
But Rampart? Well he had done nothing good at all in Crosshair’s onion. Having come to realise how much the former Admiral had hated the clones, guess this was kind of poetic justice. Rampart getting his dues. The man having become way too arrogant in his position only to have gotten caught with his hands in the imperial cookie jar as his last act! Talk about Karma biting a big chunk of Rampart’s shebs for sure!
“I mean I know you are a perfect shot with 20-20 vision, some good command ability… some though only… and all…” yeah clearly loving his own voice and not reading the room at all!
Crosshair rolled his eyes and pulled the pillow over his head for show. Yet Rampart still went on not noticing at all his captive audience wasn’t as that. Captive yes, audience, no.
“Following orders.., That’s what made me appreciate you in the beginning…” Rampart ranted on. There was certainly nothing new there to Crosshair, who was trying to think of something else while Rampart yammered on until… something caught his ears… “you, betrayed me.”
Suddenly the room went silent. Crosshair having heard the last part just fine and the following silence was, well, deafening. When Crosshair dared to look out and at Rampart from his hideout, his cellmate’s angry glare was boring right through him.
Crosshair stared back, nevertpe one easily intimidated, his own scowl aimed right at Rampart .
And then all the dams finally burst. Crosshair had had it. Officially!
“You.” He pointed angrily at Rampart as he spat out the words. “do not get to blame me! You were the Commanding officer. My, commanding officer. You treated me like shit even if you knew how loyal I really was. Chipped or not. I, never betrayed you. The Empire failed all of us, all of us clones. You, are the traitor here.”
Crosshair stared at Rampart a moment longer in perfect silence. A long spell passing before Rampart finally averted his gaze. Crosshair had won this round. Only fearing this would not be the last of them. After all, they were, cellmates.